I like dogs, but I hate it when they -insert dog behavior here-. iOS is locked down ecosystem. It’s part of what makes it itself. To shit on that is shit on iOS itself, much like shitting on a dog for a dog behavior. To say you like iOS and then say that you don’t like that it’s locked down is to say that you don’t like iOS.
If you don’t like it, there are plenty of other pieces of technology out there for you to use. Android, Penguin, Linux and many others.
If you do not like sideloading then stop living in europe and you be stuck to old ways.
But there are benefits for then user with sideloading. Its kinda funny apple could go the way they go for so long but when microsoft had internet explorer preinstalled on windows the world was to small.
Anyway there some apps that worked great in the past that are ruined by updates like design overhaul, features worked fine suddenly removed ect. Would be lovely to get older version of said app and keep using it.